Protective cover for cleated athletic shoes

ABSTRACT

A protective covering device for the bottom of an athletic shoe having cleats, spikes, studs, or other traction and stability-enhancing protrusions is disclosed. The covering protects against damage—to both cleats and hard surfaces underfoot—while at the same time being aesthetically pleasing and durable, fitting the profile of the shoe, and being easy to use. The protective covering also helps to avoid grass, dirt, mud and other foreign objects becoming stuck in the cleats. The protective covering may attach to the shoe in a variety of manners, including by cage or teeth-like gripping mechanisms, by side grips, by elastic band, by drawstring, adhesion, vacuum, or another mechanism.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/795,617 filed Oct. 27, 2017 which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application. 62/414,631 filed Oct. 28, 2016, the entirety ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to footwear protective devices that cover thebottoms of shoes or other footwear to prevent damage to the shoe orsurface that the shoe comes into contact with. In particular, theinvention is directed to protective covers for athletic shoes that havemetal or plastic cleats, spikes, studs, and similar protrusions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Athletes participating in activities such as football, baseball, soccer,golf, softball, rugby, lacrosse, field hockey, cycling, and track oftenwear specialized shoes designed for the particular activity. These shoesmay have cleats, spikes, studs, or other protrusions (shoes of this typeare collectively known as “cleated shoes”) to improve traction andstability on the soft surfaces where these activities take place, suchas a grass or turf field. However, these protrusions are frequently madeof metal, hard plastic, or hard rubber, and can be damaged and/or causedamage when they come in contact with hard surfaces underfoot, such asconcrete, wood, or tile floors. The damage may include breaking orwearing down of the cleats, which can significantly shorten the lifespanof the shoes, requiring the wearer to purchase replacements more oftenthan would otherwise be necessary. In addition, walking on surfaces suchas wood flooring with cleats may cause dents or scratches to the floor.

Cleated shoes are a necessity to many athletes participating in athleticevents, but given the risk of damage to their footwear, the athlete isleft choosing between three unpleasant options: (1) allowing damage tohis or her cleated shoes or the solid surface; (2) finding a softersurface to walk on; or (3) removing the footwear and changing intoanother pair of shoes. Oftentimes an athlete would rather accept theminor damage to his or her cleated shoes rather than spend time changinginto a pair of cleat-less shoes just to walk from, for example, anathletic field to a locker room. This damage can build up over time,resulting in worn out shoes after a short period of time, perhaps afteronly one season. Monetary cost can also add up and be especiallypertinent to high school athletes; a pair of high-quality, stylishcleats can carry a price tag of several hundred dollars. In addition tothe damage to the cleats or hard surface, dirt, mud, and other debriscan become lodged in the cleats. An athlete wearing cleats after anathletic activity can therefore track dirt into a car, home, lockerroom, school, or other location.

While several shoe protectors have been implemented to try to offerprotection for cleated shoes, these typically require various straps orother attachment mechanisms to keep the cover fixed to the athleticshoe. These are often less appealing to a fashion-conscious athlete andsometimes difficult to attach to one's cleated shoes with convenience.

Consequently, there is a need for a protective covering for cleatedathletic shoes that is low-profile, stylish, matches the profile of theshoe, and is easy to attach and remove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a protective covering device for thebottom of an athletic shoe having cleats, spikes, studs, or othertraction and stability-enhancing protrusions, collectively referred toherein as cleats. The covering protects against damage—to both cleatsand hard surfaces underfoot—while at the same time being aestheticallypleasing and durable, fitting the profile of the shoe, and being easy touse. The protective covering also helps to avoid grass, dirt, mud andother foreign objects becoming stuck in the cleats.

The covering fits onto to the bottom of a pair of cleated shoes, therebyreducing or eliminating damage to the cleats and to hard surfaces theuser walks on. The protective coverings may be configured to fit on aparticular style of cleated shoe, to ensure the protective coveringadheres to the contours of the cleated shoe and fits tightly. Openingsor recesses in the protective covering, configured to receive the cleatsprotruding from the bottom of a shoe, may be arranged in a specificpattern to match the pattern of the cleats or protrusions.Alternatively, openings or recesses may be provided for the longest ofthe cleats on the bottom of the shoe, or a soft material may be providedwhich adjusts to the shape and contours of the bottom of the shoe whenattached. In addition, the protective coverings may be configured tomatch not only the contours and shapes of the protruding cleats, but toalso match the contours and shapes of any other features on the bottomor sides of the athletic shoe to which they are attached. If any logosor distinctive designs are present on the shoe, these can be matched inthe design of the protective covering to maintain a stylish andaesthetically pleasing appearance.

The cleated shoe may be attached to the protective covering in a varietyof manners. For example, the covering may contain a semi rigid cagestructure or teeth which grip the cleated shoe. This cage structure orteeth may be constructed of plastic, rubber, metal, or a malleablematerial that physically, mechanically, or adhesively attaches to thesides and/or bottom of the cleated shoe to hold the covering in place.The structure or teeth may be on the sides, front, and/or rear of thecovering. Additionally or alternatively, the covering may includestep-in grips such that the covering grips onto a cleated shoe when auser steps into the covering. This gripping mechanism may be flexibleside grips that grip the side of the cleated shoe in the mid-foot regionof the shoe, which form a U-shape cross-section when viewing thecovering from the rear. The curvature of side grips utilized in theU-shape configuration may vary depending on the size and design ofcleated shoe in question.

The covering may also include a heel grip configured to fit around theheel region of the cleated shoe. The heel grip may be strap-shaped,cover the entirety of the heel, or only partially cover or otherwiseattach to the heel. A toe grip, which fits or wraps entirely orpartially around to the toe portion of the cleated shoe may also bepresent on the covering to facilitate attachment to the shoe. The toegrips, side grips, and heel grips may but do not necessarily connectfrom one side of the covering to the other, and may be elongatedteeth-like structures. Depending on the structure of the cleated shoe,the grips may clip into or otherwise affix to the design elements of theshoe in a convenient manner for usability.

The covering may contain an elastic or drawstring closure which fitsover the cleated shoe. This elastic or drawstring closure may narrowslightly in a region that extends up from the sole of the covering,which holds onto the shoe during movement utilizing friction. This upperregion may be constructed of a fabric, mesh, polymer, or other materialsthat provide the desired functionality. This elastic or drawstringgripping closure may contain a portion with a high-friction or high-gripmaterial such as a gel-lined band. The sole portion covering may beconstructed from a different material the upper region that is durablefor walking, such as the polymers or rubbers used in traditionalnon-cleat athletic shoes.

Other variants of the protective covering may be configured to molduniquely to a particular athlete's cleated shoe. For example, thecovering may include a low-temperature thermoplastic on the shoe-facingside. The user would heat the covering to the appropriate temperature(e.g., boiling, similar to “boil-and-bite” mouth guards commonly used inAmerican football and other sports) and step into the thermoplastic withthe desired cleated shoes to make an individualized mold in the coveringthat matches the bottom of the shoe. These coverings could be re-boiledto and re-fit to the cleated shoes if the covering loosens over time.Another moldable variant of the protective covering may include on theshoe-facing side a thermosetting material such as an epoxy resin, foam,silicone, or other soft material that hardens over time. A user wouldprepare the soft material on the shoe-facing side, such as by mixing twocomponents of an epoxy resin, applying the soft material to theshoe-facing side of the protective covering, and stepping into the softmaterial with the cleated shoe to make an individualized mold in thecovering that matches the bottom of the shoe. A third moldable variantof the protective covering may include a heat-shrink grip structure thatextends up from the sole of the covering, which wraps around and holdsonto the shoe during movement utilizing friction. These moldablevariants of the protective covering are thus compatible with a widevariety of cleated shoes without needing custom configurations for eachshoe design. To increase compatibility, these moldable variants may becut-to-size or otherwise adjustable to a variety of sizes and shapes ofcleated shoes.

The protective coverings may be implemented for a wide variety ofathletic shoe styles, including but not limited to football cleats,soccer cleats, baseball cleats, rugby cleats, golf shoes, softballcleats, lacrosse cleats, field hockey cleats, cycling shoes, and trackspikes. A tight fit is preferred for the protective covering to maintainadhesion and attachment to the cleated shoe during walking and othermovement. This tight fit may be achieved by vacuum, friction, orattachment mechanisms. For example the profile and shape of theprotective covering may be designed to match the profile and shape ofthe bottom portion of the shoe to which it will be attached. Theprotective covering may be partially or completely translucent ortransparent to allow the aesthetic design of the cleated shoe to showthrough the covering and is visible through the covering. Theshoe-facing side of the covering may have the same shape as the bottomof the shoe, with indentions, recesses, holes, or other materialsprovided to accept or cushion the protruding cleats. In addition, theshoe-facing side may be configured to tightly fit the contours of theside of the bottom portion of a shoe, thus keeping the protectivecovering firmly attached. The covering may also include adhesivematerial to enable the covering to adhere to the bottom of a cleatedshoe, such as high-adhesion gel padding that is washable and compatiblewith a range of temperatures in which the protective covering may beused, from around 0° F. to 150° F., depending on weather and sunconditions. The adhesive material may be used with the other embodimentsfor attaching the covering to the cleated shoe, or it may be used byitself to attach a cover to the cleated shoe. Flexibility is alsopreferred for the protective covering to flex with the cleated shoeduring walking or other movement without becoming detached. Theprotective coverings can be made of flexible materials, includingrubber, plastic foam, or high density stretch fabric. The outsoleground-facing side of the protective covering may be configured toprovide traction and constructed out of materials that enhance gripwithout causing damage to ground surfaces, such as the rubber orelastomers utilized in traditional non-cleat athletic shoes.

The present invention easily attaches to the bottom of a cleated shoe.One method of attaching the protective covering is by placing it on theground and stepping into the protective covering, thereby attaching itto the bottom of the shoe. Another method of applying the protectivecovering is to attach the covering to the bottom of one's cleated shoeby hand. A pull tab, loop, or other structure may be present on thefront, rear, or sides of the protective covering to facilitate a user'sease of application to the bottom of the cleated shoe. These methods,among others, are meant to be quick and simple compared to unlacing andchanging into another pair of shoes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional top view of a protective covering.

FIG. 2 is an illustration showing how a cleated shoe would align withand fit into a protective covering.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a protective covering attached to the bottom ofa cleated shoe.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a protective covering attached to the bottomof a cleated shoe.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a protective covering having semi-rigid cagestructure wraps.

FIGS. 6A-6C are side, perspective, and front views of a protectivecovering having teeth gripping structures.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a protective covering having an elastic bandgrip structure.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a protective covering having a drawstring gripstructure.

FIGS. 9A-9C are side, perspective, and front views of a protectivecovering having an elastic band grip structure.

FIG. 10A-10C are rear, side, and cross-sectional views of a protectivecovering with side grips.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a protective covering having a rear strapgrip.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a protective covering having side grips.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a protective covering having teeth structures.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a protective covering having a thermoplasticlayer.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a protective covering having a moldablematerial.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a protective covering having a heat shrinkgrip structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional top view of a protective covering 100,which may be formed out of a variety of flexible materials including butnot limited to rubber, plastic foam, or high density stretch fabric. Theprotective covering 100 contains holes or recesses 101 to receive themetal or plastic cleats, studs, spikes, or other protrusions(collectively “cleats”) from a shoe having such protrusions (a “cleatedshoe”). The top portion of the protective covering 100 may also beformed to receive any non-cleat protrusions on the bottom of the shoe,such as formations to receive logos 103 and formations to receive otherdesign features 102. These formations may be holes, recesses, ormaterials that flex to accept the logo or design formations of the shoe.By forming the protecting covering to match both the cleats andnon-cleat protrusions, the protective covering adheres tightly to acleated shoe while maintaining the distinctive design of the shoeitself. The outer side 104 of the protective covering 100 is visiblewhen the protective covering 100 is attached to a cleated shoe and maybe stylized in a variety of ways, preferably to match the aesthetics ofthe cleated shoe. The shoe-facing footbed 108 receives the bottom of acleated shoe 205 to protect the cleated shoe 200 from damage and providecushioning between the shoe 200 and any ground surface a user walks on.The protective covering may also be formed with designs or logos notincluded on the shoe itself, allowing the covering to alter the outwardappearance of the shoe when attached.

FIG. 2 is a three dimensional view of the protective covering 100aligned with the bottom of a cleated shoe 200. The holes or recesses 101of the protective covering 100 are configured to mate with the cleats201 on the bottom of the shoe 200, thereby creating a tight fit. Theholes may be dimensioned to receive the cleats to a certain depth, suchthat the cleats do not protrude from the bottom of the protectivecovering. Similarly, the recesses may be dimensioned to receive thecleats such that they do not protrude from the bottom of the protectivecovering, and may be further dimensioned to provide a predeterminedamount of the material forming the protective covering between the cleatand the bottom of the protective cover. This predetermined amount ofmaterial provides cushioning and separation between the cleat andunderlying surfaces that the wearer comes in contact with, thusprotecting both the cleat and the underlying surface. The formations forreceiving logo features 103 and for receiving other shoe design features102 on the top of the protective covering 100 fit onto the logo features203 and design features 203 on the bottom of the cleated shoe 200,preferably forming a tight fit. The outer side 104 of the protectivecovering preferably fits snugly against an upper portion 204 of thecleated shoe 200 to mimic the aesthetics of cleat-less athletic shoes,such as basketball shoes. The bottom of the protective covering may beformed of a flexible material, or alternatively may be formed of a rigidor semi-rigid material. For example, the bottom portion may be formed ofa plastic or hard rubber that provides enhanced protection while stillbeing flexible enough to move with the shoe.

The protective covering 100 may be produced based on a 3D or geometricalscan of the cleated shoe 200 that it is designed to fit, obtained vialaser, modulated or structured light, or other scanning technology knownin the art. Molds of the bottom portion of a shoe may also be created,and the protective covering may be formed using the molds. Theprotective covering may be configured to correspond to all cleats,designs, logos, and contours of the shoe, or may be configured tocorrespond to only select features of the shoe. For example, theprotective cover may be configured to only include recesses or holes foraccepting all cleats on the shoe, without any recesses to correspond tologos or design features of the shoe. The protective cover may also beconfigured to only correspond to certain of the cleats on the bottom ofthe shoe, such as the longest cleats, while not having correspondingholes or recesses for shorter cleats. In addition, the protectivecovering may include a soft material contacting the cleats, allowing thecleats to sink in without protruding from the bottom of the protectivecovering.

The protective covering 100 may be applied to the bottom of a cleatedshoe 200 in a variety of ways. A user may press the protective covering100 onto the cleated shoe 200, applying enough pressure for the two tofit together. A user may place the protective covering 100 on the groundand step onto it while wearing his or her cleated shoes, therebyapplying enough pressure for the two to fit together tightly. Theprotective covering may be made of a flexible material, allowing a userto stretch the flexible cover in order to firmly secure it around ashoe.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the protective covering 100 attached to thebottom of a cleated shoe 200. The outer side 104 of the protectivecovering 100 may attach closely to an upper portion 204 of the cleatedshoe 200, illustrated by the seam 150 between the upper portion 204 andthe outer side 104 of the protective covering. The upper portion 204 mayinclude the midsole, outsole, sole, upper, and sides of the shoe. Theupper portion may extend up the side of the shoe to any amount desired,and may encompass the entirety of the shoe if desired. The design of theouter side 104 of the protective covering may vary depending on thestyle and function of the cleated shoe 200. The outer side 104 of theprotective covering may be smooth, or may be designed to match theshoe's aesthetics. For example, the outer side 104 of the protectivecovering may include designs that match the designs on any portion ofthe shoe which it covers, or may include additional designs or markingsnot found on the shoe. By providing different designs and markings fromwhat is included on the shoe, a user may select protective coverings tochange the appearance of their shoes as desired. For example, a user mayselect from among different protective coverings 100 to change the coloror appearance of his or her shoes to match their outfit (such as specialhome or away jerseys). Furthermore, the curvature of the bottom of thetoe section 66 of the protective covering and the heel section 77 of theprotective covering may preferably vary according to the functionalitydesired, and may match the aesthetics or style of the cleated footwear.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the protective covering 100 attached to thebottom of a cleated shoe 200. The holes or recesses 101 of theprotective covering 100 are shown to fit tightly over the cleats 201 ofthe cleated shoe 200. The formation to receive design features 203 thatare holes are visible on the bottom of the protective covering 100. Thebottom portion 105 of the protective covering that comes in contact withthe ground may be textured for improved traction. As noted above, thebottom of the protective covering may be formed of the same flexiblematerial as the rest of the protective covering, or it may be formed ofa rigid or semi-rigid material that differs from the rest of theprotective covering. The bottom portion 105 that comes in contact withthe ground or other underlying surface may also be designed such that itmatches some or all of the appearance of the bottom of the shoe to whichit is attached. Stretch areas 121 are depicted on the bottom of theprotective covering 100 which allow the covering to stretch, expandlongitudinally, bend, and flex while being applied to a cleated shoe 200and during movement. The protective covering 100 may include rigidmaterials on the side portions of the protective covering 104. The rigidmaterials used in the protective covering 100 may be configured tosimilarly expand, bend, and flex to facilitate stretching, flexion andextension of the stretch areas. The rigid materials may be positioned onthe side portions 104 and may have thin regions to allow for thisexpansion, bending, and flexing. The thin regions may align with thestretch areas 121 or be used independently at locations where theprotective covering flexes during walking, such as a midfoot sectionbetween the toe section 106 and heel section 107 of the protectivecovering. These stretch areas 121 and rigid materials with thin areas onthe side portions 104 may be utilized with other embodiments of theprotective covering.

To effectively remove the protective covering 100 from the cleated shoe200, a user may pull on a variety of sections of the protectivecovering. For example, a user may pull on either the toe section 106 orthe heel section 107 to remove the protective covering.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a protective covering 100 having semi-rigidcage structure wraps 109 which grip a cleated shoe 200 when a user stepsinto or otherwise applies the covering 100. The semi-rigid cagestructure wraps 109 may be made of or contain plastic, rubber, metal,wood, or another material which retains its shape sufficiently well togrip a cleated shoe 200. The gripping may occur mechanically byfriction, adhesively, or another mechanism. The shoe-facing footbed 108of the protective covering may optionally contain structures to receivethe cleats 101 and other formations on the bottom of the cleated shoe102 or otherwise be configured to cushion the cleated shoe 200 whileattached, such as being constructed of a soft material to receive thecleats 201.

FIG. 6A-6C are side, perspective, and front views of a protectivecovering 100 having teeth gripping structures 110. In FIG. 6A, a cleatedshoe 200 is received into the shoe-facing footbed 108 of the protectivecovering 100, such that only the upper portion of the cleated shoe 204is visible. Teeth gripping structures 110 may be configured to hold theprotective covering 100 onto the cleated shoe by friction, adhesively,or another mechanism. The teeth 110 may be rigid or partially malleable,and may extend entirely or only partially over the upper portion of thecleated shoe 204. The teeth 110 may be constructed of a single materialor overmolded with an embedded more rigid material, such constructionmaterials may be rubber, metal, wood, fabric, plastic, or elastomer.Depending on the teeth 110 length, a user may apply the covering 100manually or by stepping into the protective covering 100. As depicted inFIGS. 6B and 6C, the teeth 110 may be arranged in rows on the protectivecovering 100, potentially protruding up from the side portions of theprotective covering 104. The teeth 110 may vary in length depending onaesthetics or the general design of the cleated shoe 200, and the teeth110 may be longest near the rear section of the protective covering 107with each succeeding teeth gripping structure 110 in the row towards thefront section 106 being shorter than the previous teeth grippingstructure 110 in the row, such that the shortest teeth grippingstructures 110 are nearest to the toe section of the protective covering106. The teeth 110 and covering 100 may be transparent or translucent toreveal the design, logo, and aesthetics of the cleated shoe 200 whileattached. Stretch areas are depicted on FIG. 6A. FIG. 13 is a side viewof another protective covering having teeth gripping structures having adifferent design and being affixed to a different style of shoe. Theteeth gripping structures 110 may run along only a portion of or theentirety of the sides, front, or rear of the protective covering. Theteeth gripping structures may be positioned at the midfoot region andangled toward the toe section of the protective covering 106. Theprotective covering 100, as illustrated in of FIG. 13, may also containa toe cap portion at the toe section of the protective covering 106 thatwraps around and holds the cleated shoe and/or a raised portion at therear of the protective covering 107 that wraps around and holds thecleated shoe 200, to facilitate grip or adhesion to the cleated shoe200. The toe cap portion at the front of the protective covering 106 andthe raised portion at the rear of the protective covering 107 may beconstructed of single piece or made up of a plurality of teeth grippingstructures 110.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a protective covering 100 having an elasticband grip structure 111. The elastic band grip structure 111 extends upfrom the outer sides of the protective covering 104 and narrowselastically to hold a cleated shoe 200 when inserted into the protectivecovering. The elastic band grip structure 111 may include ahigh-friction material 112, such as an adhesive gel, where the elasticband grip structure 111 is configured to come into contact with thecleated shoe 200 to increase friction between the two and form a stronghold. FIGS. 9A-9C also illustrates a side, perspective, and front viewof a protective covering 100 having an elastic band grip structure 111.FIG. 9A illustrates how the elastic band grip structure 111 fits aroundthe body of the cleated shoe 200. FIGS. 9B and 9C depict how the elasticband grip structure extends from the protective covering 100 radially ina manner that fits around a cleated shoe 200. The portion of the elasticband grip structure 111 near the front of the protective covering 106may fit over the toe portion of the shoe, and the portion of the elasticband grip structure 111 near the rear of the protective covering 107 mayfit over the heel of the cleated shoe 200. The elastic band gripstructure 111 may be constructed out of a breathable mesh, plastic,rubber, fabric, or another appropriate material. FIGS. 9A and 9B depictstretch areas 121 which are configured to stretch, expand, or flexradially when the protective covering 100 is applied to a shoe or duringmovement. These radial stretch areas 121 may be utilized with otherembodiments of the protective covering to facilitate stretching, flexionand extension of the stretch areas. The protective covering 100 mayinclude one or more loops 115, tabs, or other structures a user can pullto facilitate applying the protective covering 100 to a cleated shoe200. These loops 115 may be positioned at convenient locations on theprotective covering 100, such as at the rear 107, at the front 106,outer sides 104, or another location. The loops 115 may double ashangers and be positioned in the shoe-facing footbed 108 or on thebottom of the protective covering 105 to aid in the removal of theprotective covering 100 or for use when the protective covering 100 isnot attached to a cleated shoe.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a protective covering 100 having a drawstringgrip structure 113 which extends up from the outer sides of theprotective covering 104. The drawstring grip structure 113 narrows whenthe drawstring is tightened to hold tightly onto the cleated shoe 200.As with the elastic band grip structure 111, a high-friction material112 may be present on or in the drawstring grip structure to ensure atight hold to the cleated shoe 200. The protective covering 100 mayinclude a drawstring slide lock 114 to hold the drawstring in place whentightened. The lock 114 may be positioned at the front 106, rear 107,along the side 104, or at any other location on the protective covering100.

FIG. 10A-10C are rear, side, and cross-sectional views of a protectivecovering 100 with side grips 116. The side grips 116 may be flexibleenough to allow a user to directly step into the covering withoutrequiring additional interaction, yet rigid enough to return to applypressure to the cleated shoe 200 and form a strong hold. The side grips116 may be given additional rigidity by overmolding or embedding aU-shaped metal or other rigid material within the protective covering100. The side view of FIG. 10B depicts how the side grips 116 may bepositioned on the protective covering 100. These grips may optionally belocated nearer to the rear of the protective covering 107 or the frontof the protective covering 106, protruding from the protective covering100 at any location around the side portion 104. The cross-sectionalview in FIG. 10C illustrates how the side grips 116 would fit as thecleated shoe 200 is inserted into the protective covering 100. The rearview in FIG. 10A illustrates how the protective covering 100 may fit onthe cleated shoe 200. FIG. 11 is a side view of a protective coveringhaving a rear strap grip 117. The rear strap grip 117 may optionallyprotrude from any location on the side portion 104, such as the front,midfoot, or rear regions, and angled toward or around the heel portion107. The rear strap grip 117 may be constructed of a single piece or aplurality of pieces that hold the protective covering 100 onto thecleated shoe 200. It may or may not connect around the heel of the shoe,depending on aesthetics and material of construction, which may berubber, plastic, fabric, or metal. The strap grip 117 may be also beovermolded with a more rigid material such as metal, hard rubber, orhard plastic to provide rigidity. FIG. 12 is a side view of a protectivecovering having side grips 116 at the midfoot and a raised portion atthe heel of the protective covering 107 which cups the heel of thecleated shoe 200. The side grips 116 of FIG. 12 may optionally form afull closure around the shoe or alternatively only partially closearound the shoe and operate by friction, pressure, or adhesion.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a protective covering 100 having athermoplastic layer 118 that softens at an elevated temperature. Thisthermoplastic layer 118 may optionally soften around the boiling pointof water, similar to boil-and-bite mouth guards used in many athleticsports. Upon softening, a user may step a cleated shoe 200 into thethermoplastic layer 118 to form a matching mold for the cleated shoe 200that fits snugly. If the protective covering 100 loosens over time, orthe user desires to use the protective covering 100 with a differentpair of cleated shoes 200, the covering 100 may be re-heated and moldedto the cleated shoe 200 again.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a protective covering 100 having a moldablematerial 119 capable of being poured into the shoe-side footbed 108 ofthe protective covering 100. Once the moldable material 119 is pouredinto the footbed 108, the user may step into the moldable material 119to make a mold of the user's cleated shoe 200. The user may then waitfor the moldable material 119 to set and harden at room temperature, ormay optionally be required to heat the moldable material 119 to aheightened temperature, such as one obtainable in a home oven, to set,polymerize, or otherwise cause the moldable material 119 to cure. Themoldable material 119 may be a thermosetting material such as an epoxyresin, a silicone, a polymer, foam, or other soft material with thecapacity to cure or harden over time.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a protective covering 110 having a heat shrinkgrip structure 120. The heat shrink grip structure 120 extends from theouter sides of the protective covering 104 and narrows to hold a cleatedshoe when inserted into the protective covering. This heat shrink gripstructure 120 may be constructed of an elastic and flexible materialthat shrinks when heat is applied. Originally, the heat shrink gripstructure 120 may be oversized to fit around a cleated shoe 200, butnarrows when heat is applied. The heat shrink grip structure may retainits flexibility and elasticity after heat is applied, so a user canadjust desired tightness of the protective covering 100 by exposing theheat shrink grip structure 120 to a greater or lesser amount of heat.

As noted above, the protective covering may also be formed from multiplematerials, potentially layered, wherein a second material is positionedon top of a first material. These materials could be a variety of foam,rubber, polymer, thermoplastic, or even more rigid footwear materialslike carbon fiber, plastic, leather, wood, or metal. These may be thesame materials used in the manufacture of traditional non-cleatedathletic shoes. Instead of holes and recesses in the top of theprotective covering, a layer of a second material may be provided thatdeforms to accept the cleats and other formations on the bottom of thecleated shoe. In this embodiment, the protective covering could beprovided as a cut-to-size or one-size-fits-all product for consumers toadjust accordingly to their footwear. This second material may retainthe shape of the bottom of the cleated shoe, customizing itself to theparticular shoe after a single use. Additionally, the entire protectivecovering may be constructed of a second material that conforms to thebottom of the cleated shoe when a user presses his or her cleated shoeinto it. Creating the entire protective covering of a single materialmay provide sufficient cushioning for the cleated shoe and simplify theprocess of constructing the covering.

The protective covering may be constructed of durable materials forprolonged use, or from less-durable materials for limited use.Protective coverings made from materials for light use may be appealingto the owner of a building or other location who wishes to keep his orher floors safe by providing protective coverings to visitors in cleatedshoes. Such owners may be schools and universities, golf courses, andother locations where customers or visitors may commonly use cleatedshoes. Durable materials, such as rubber, fabric, plastic, leather,wood, or metal, used in the manufacture of traditional non-cleatedathletic shoes may be used to construct the protective coverings.

The protective covering 100 may be constructed of blown rubber,polyurethane foam, neoprene, thermal plastic elastomers, injected ethylvinyl acetate foam, silicone, nylon, and other polymers and rubbers orcombinations thereof. The protective covering may be made by injectionmolding or cast molding. The protective covering may also be formed bypolymer extrusion deposition, binding of granular materials viasintering or melting by laser or electron beam, photopolymerization,laser powder forming, binder and material jetting, selective depositionlamination, and other 3-D printing methods. When constructed fromcustomizable design methods, such as 3-D printing or CAD drawings usedto create a mold or model, the user may be provided with the option tocustomize design features of the protective covering. For example, theuser may be provided with a base design that includes the necessaryholes or recesses offer sufficient protection based on the arrangementand style of cleats on the shoe. The user may then be provided withoptions to modify this base design to add logos, designs, or otherfeatures to the final protective covering.

1. A protective covering for an athletic shoe, comprising: a bottomportion comprising a first material, the bottom portion configured tocontact the ground or other walking surface, the bottom portion having aground-or-walking-surface-facing portion and a shoe-facing footbedportion; a front toe portion configured to fit the front of the athleticshoe, the front toe portion configured to wrap around and hold the toeof the athletic shoe; a rear heel portion configured to fit the heel ofthe athletic shoe, the heel portion configured to wrap around and holdthe heel of the athletic shoe; two outer side portions running along thesides of the protective covering, the side portions being contoured suchthat the protective covering is shaped to receive either a left or rightshoe; and a semi-rigid cage structure extending from the side portionsfor gripping the athletic shoe during movement.
 2. The protectivecovering of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid cage structure comprises twocage sections of semi-rigid material located opposite each other on eachof the two outer side portions, wherein each of the cage sections hasone or more openings therein.
 3. The protective covering of claim 1,wherein the bottom of the athletic shoe has protrusions and otherformations, the shoe-facing footbed portion comprising a second materialthat deforms to accept the protrusions or other formations on the bottomof the athletic shoe, the shoe-facing footbed portion configured toreceive the bottom of the athletic shoe.
 4. The protective covering ofclaim 3, wherein the shoe-facing footbed portion comprises an array ofrecesses configured to receive the protrusions and dimensioned such thatthe protrusions do not extend through the bottom portion.
 5. Theprotective covering of claim 4, wherein the protrusions are configuredin a pattern, wherein the array of recesses is configured to match thepattern of the protrusions.
 6. The protective covering of claim 1,wherein the shoe-facing footbed comprises an adhesive materialpositioned to adhere to the bottom of the athletic shoe when theprotective covering is attached to the athletic shoe.
 7. The protectivecovering of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion includes one or morestretch areas that allow the protective covering to expandlongitudinally.
 8. The protective covering of claim 1, wherein theprotective covering is partially translucent or transparent so thedesign of the athletic shoe is visible through the covering.
 9. Theprotective covering of claim 1, wherein the protective covering includesa loop at the rear heel portion of the protective covering.
 10. Aprotective covering for an athletic shoe, comprising: a bottom portioncomprising a first material configured to contact the ground or otherwalking surface, the bottom portion having aground-or-walking-surface-facing portion and a shoe-facing footbedportion; a front toe portion configured to fit the front of the athleticshoe; a rear heel portion configured to fit the heel of the athleticshoe; two outer side portions running along the sides of the protectivecovering, the side portions being contoured such that the protectivecovering is shaped to receive either a left or right shoe; an elasticband grip structure configured to grip the athletic shoe and hold theathletic shoe during movement, the elastic band grip structurecomprising an elastic band, the elastic band grip structure extendingfrom the outer side portions, the front toe portion, and the rear heelportion such that the elastic band grip structure fits radially aroundthe athletic shoe, wherein the elastic band grip structure comprises ahigh-friction grip material facing the athletic shoe; and a loopprotruding from the portion of the elastic band grip structure nearestto the rear heel portion of the protective covering.
 11. The protectivecovering of claim 10, wherein the bottom of the athletic shoe hasprotrusions, wherein the shoe-facing footbed portion comprises an arrayof recesses and is configured to receive the protrusions and dimensionedsuch that the protrusions do not extend through the bottom portion. 12.The protective covering of claim 10, wherein the bottom of the athleticshoe has protrusions and other formations, the shoe-facing footbedportion comprising a second material that deforms to accept theprotrusions or other formations, the shoe-facing footbed portionconfigured to receive the bottom of the athletic shoe.
 13. Theprotective covering of claim 10, wherein the elastic band grip structurecomprises an adhesive material positioned to adhere to the athletic shoewhen the protective covering is attached to the athletic shoe.
 14. Aprotective covering for an athletic shoe, comprising: a bottom portioncomprising a first material configured to contact the ground or otherwalking surface; a front toe portion configured to fit the front of theathletic shoe; a rear heel portion configured to fit the heel of theathletic shoe; two outer side portions running along the sides of theprotective covering, the side portions being contoured such that theprotective covering is shaped to receive either a left or right shoe; asemi-rigid cage structure extending from the side portions for grippingthe athletic shoe during movement; and a shoe-facing footbed portion ontop of the shoe-facing side of the bottom portion, configured to receivethe bottom of the athletic shoe, the shoe-facing footbed portioncomprising a second material.
 15. The protective covering of claim 14,wherein the second material is a thermoplastic material or athermosetting material.